Insights From the 2019 National ATM Council Convention

This past year we attended the National ATM Council’s seventh annual convention in October at the Las Vegas Planet Hollywood Hotel and Convention Center. OptConnect has been a longtime supporter and member of the National ATM Council (NAC), a not-for-profit national trade association dedicated to ethically and effectively representing the business interests of ATM Owners, Operators and Suppliers in their efforts to provide safe, secure and convenient delivery of cash to consumers throughout the United States.

We feel that being an active participant in organizations such as NAC is invaluable. It helps us keep a good heartbeat on the industry and the issues that our customers and OptConnect alike are experiencing.

Over the course of three days, the tradeshow acts as a great place to network and get to know other businesses and their offerings in the space. NAC is also a wonderful place for members to learn of growing trends and how to protect their business and its assets. NAC serves as a very important organization for the ATM industry, and we are happy to be apart of it.

Being A Member of the National ATM Council

NAC carefully evaluates issues that the ATM industry is facing and goes to work to try and help organize the effort to help resolve those issues. As a recent example, they organized a trip to Washington D.C. to lobby against laws like 2013s' Operation Choke Point that allowed banks to close business accounts of ATM owners and operators without consequence or explanation, often leaving them without options.

Our Director of Key Accounts, Andrew DeLaMare, acting on behalf of OptConnect and as a member of NAC, joined their fight. He said, "While the progress can sometimes feel slow, we are fully committed to doing all we can to support ATM industry organizations like NAC and the legislation that will benefit the entire industry collectively. If we all rally together, we can be a loud and united voice to represent the needs and interests of the industry as a whole."

The Annual Convention

NAC is a carefully planned event and is organized by an amazing board of directors that are dedicated to the industry because they are part of it. NAC Board Members' collective experience in the US ATM industry totals in the hundreds of years. This diverse, talented, and devoted group of seasoned ATM entrepreneurs guide the organization and its staff in addressing the most critical and pressing issues and fulfilling the mission of the organization. (NAC).

This year, the tradeshow floor was full of booths that represented the multiple service providers in the industry. From larger companies such as manufacturers of ATMs to start-up Bitcoin companies, there was no shortage of new faces and new avenues to discover. I had the privilege to meet many of my customers for the first time, and I also had the opportunity to attend a panel dedicated to a discussion surrounding bitcoin and its many intricacies.

Conference highlights included the unveiling of a new mobile-biometric ATM standard, educational panels, and keynote addresses, all designed to help independent ATM distributors adapt to changing trends in financial services. (The Green Sheet). Our President and CEO, Chris Baird, praised NAC for providing a platform for thought leadership and education. “Industry organizations such as NAC play a critically important role in the industry,” he said. “It’s an amazing opportunity to gather together and see great industry friends and associates.”

As an ATM operator or service provider, NAC is such an important organization to be a part of. If you aren’t a member or have never attended the NAC show, we highly recommend that you join and attend. For more information about NAC, please visit https://www.natmc.org.

For more information on OptConnect and how we’re dedicated to helping the ATM industry, visit www.optconnect.com.